Author: gsgcnwi

Juliette Low’s Birthday Celebration 

By: GCNWI Historian Debbie Kidd 

It’s always wonderful to celebrate someone’s birthday – and who better to celebrate than our founder, Juliette Gordon Low (often called “Daisy”)? Celebrating Juliette’s birthday with your troop is so much fun! She was born in Savannah, GA, on October 31, 1860. 

Juliette brought so much to girls then and now. She taught us to find something we are passionate about and live it every day. She started Girl Scouts to empower girls with skills to become leaders. She believed in teaching self-reliance, outdoor skills, community service, and leadership at a time when opportunities for young women were very limited. Daisy also taught us how to enjoy life to the fullest. 

Today’s world can be hard to navigate, but Girl Scouts helps girls grow strong, courageous, and kind. We learn to focus on others, act with integrity, explore the world around us – and just be ourselves! 

That’s a lot to celebrate – not only on Juliette’s birthday, but always. Girl Scouts celebrates girls, and we celebrate Juliette! 

Here are some fun ways your troop can celebrate Juliette’s birthday: 

  • Sharing Pearls, Sharing Love – Make “pearl” necklaces or bracelets and give them to a friend as a reminder of Juliette, who sold her rare pearl necklace to help grow the Girl Scout movement. Invite a “sister troop” to join the fun! 
  • A Tray Full of Memories – Play Kim’s Game! Place several Juliette-related items on a tray (pumpkin, pink ribbon, dog, telephone, boat, horse, pearl necklace, s’more, rope). Let the girls study the tray, cover it, and see how many items they can remember. Talk about what each item means in Juliette’s life. 
  • Stand on Your Head for Daisy Challenge – Juliette loved standing on her head! Each year on her birthday, she would make friends laugh by doing it. Try safe versions of headstands (even against a wall) and take a silly troop photo together.

 

  • History You Can Wear – Borrow the Historians’ Box of Vintage Uniforms from your Girl Scout council and dress up in uniforms from the past. 
  • A Sweet Way to Celebrate – Bake and taste the original Girl Scout cookie recipe together. A delicious piece of history! 
  • A Birthday Gift for Others – Create “Birthday Boxes” with party supplies (cake mix, frosting, sprinkles, streamers, plates, forks) and donate them to a food shelter. 
  • Tea with Juliette – Borrow your council’s Tea Party Historian Box and host a birthday tea party in Juliette’s honor. 
  • Be the Change. Share the Friendship. – Do a service project in Juliette’s honor. Collect spare change to donate to the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund. 
  • Hats Off to Juliette – Juliette loved decorating hats – sometimes with carrots and parsley! Create your own innovative hat designs. 
  • Painting Juliette’s Birthday – Paint or draw what you imagine her first troop birthday celebration looked like. Focus on fun, skills, and giving back. 
  • A Gift for Juliette: Kindness Counts – Do a kindness challenge. Each girl gives Juliette a “gift” by performing a kind deed and sharing it with the troop. 
  • Stitches of Love – Juliette once led a sewing group called Helping Hands. Celebrate by sewing or making no-sew fleece blankets to donate, or sew stuffed hearts as gifts for community volunteers. 
  • Sweet Treats for Juliette – Bake a daisy-shaped cake or hold a cupcake-decorating contest. Be innovative – Juliette would approve! 
  • How Well Do You Know Daisy? – Play Juliette trivia and award small prizes. 
  • Once Upon a Daisy – Read Juliette’s story to Daisy-level Girl Scouts. They love learning how it all began! 
  • Daisy’s Birthday Treasure Hunt – Organize a scavenger hunt with facts and photos of Juliette hidden around your meeting space. 
  • Letters Across the Sea – Connect with Girl Guides or Girl Scouts abroad by writing letters or sending video messages, honoring Juliette’s global vision. 

Juliette’s legacy lives on through each of you. End your meeting by singing “Happy Birthday” to Juliette and making a troop wish to carry on her vision of courage, confidence, and character. 

With all these ideas, I hope you’ll share how your troop celebrated Juliette. 
Happy Birthday, Juliette – from all of us to YOU! 

Girl Scout Council Historians – We Are Looking For New Volunteers!

If you love Girl Scouts, their history, or even their future, you could be a Girl Scout Historian.

Do you enjoy working with people of all ages?    Do you enjoy helping people learn?

Mark Your Calendars!

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Council Collection and meet the Historians!

The Council Collection contains published materials, photographs, uniforms, camping gear, and memorabilia from the last 113 years!  Come be a part of it!

You are invited to an Open House at the Girl Scout History Center inside the Vernon Hills Gathering Place.

Come see the current exhibits and try the hands-on learning experiences.

November 8, 2025             10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

RSVP here: https://fs24.formsite.com/gsgcnwi2/yduzerbcae/index

As people begin to declutter, or downsize, Girl Scout items from the past begin to surface. What to do with them? Who would appreciate them? That is how they come to the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GCNWI) Council Collection.

Once items are donated, historians access them and determine how they can be used. We mount displays for the six gathering places within GCNWI, as well as local libraries. We display items at council wide programs such as the Volunteer Expo, the Sneaker Ball, and the Cookie Kickoff. We create programming material that can be checked out and used at troop meetings. With new members, we could expand our outreach by visiting troops or service units during their meeting times.

There are two locations where historians work on the collection:

Vernon Hills Gathering Place       &     Joliet Gathering Place

650 Lakeview Pkwy                            1551 W. Illinois Hwy

Vernon Hills, IL 60061                          Joliet, IL 60433                       

9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Tuesdays            Flexible hours, dependent on need

It is possible that some volunteer tasks could be worked on off-site, with flexible hours, which might be a better fit for some volunteers.

Qualifications for anyone interested in becoming a volunteer with GCNWI Historians:

  • Must be registered with GSUSA.
  • Must show commitment to the mission, values and programs of GSUSA.
  • Must have a desire to make Girl Scout history relevant to a broad audience.
  • Must be friendly and enjoy interacting with people. Must have a positive attitude.
  • Must be reliable and understand the importance of volunteer commitment.
  • Must be available for occasional weekend events.

If you have further questions, please contact:

Alaina Greene        agreene@girlscoutsgcnwi.org       312-912-6350

Timeless Trails: A Journey Through Our Former Camps – Part 2

Written by, Rosemarie D Courtney

Since Girl Scouts was founded in 1912, camping has provided campers with memories they carry throughout their lives. 

Today, our council has many opportunities for campers to form their own memories at Camp Butternut Springs, Camp Juniper Knoll, Camp Palos, and Camp Greene Wood.

But did you know that over the years, Girl Scouts have made lasting memories at 97 different camps that were once owned by our council, or by the former councils that existed prior to any mergers?

Keep reading to learn more about one of these beloved camps and the memories created there.

CAMP HAPPY HOLLOW

          

On May 30, 1959, Girl Scouts of Northwest Cook Council purchased 287 acres of land from John Bushman Jr.  It featured gentle rolling hills to steep hills with approximately two-thirds open land the last third wooded land.  Sugar Creek flows along the edge of the property.  The only building on the property was the farmhouse which became the caretaker’s home.  The property was purchased with cookie money.

The name “Happy Hollow” was chosen by Junior Troop 365 from St. Mary’s School in Des Plaines, led by Mrs. Eisenbacher. Shortly after the property was purchased, the troop visited the new camp. During a hike down a ravine, the girls discovered a large hollow log and stopped to rest. Inspired by the joyful experience and the unique setting, they submitted the name “Happy Hollow”, which they believed was a perfect reflection of their adventure and the spirit of the camp.

In 1961, troops were provided with tents, camping equipment, water and sanitary facilities for primitive camping experience. 151 girls and adults enjoyed the experience. By 1967, the camp had expanded to include two platform tent sites and Leffer House, a winterized cabin with a kitchen for meal preparation. The cabin was named in honor of Fred Leffer, Chairman of the Campsite Committee and member of the Board of Directors.

In 1970, two more platform sites were added. Then in 1972, Fox’s Den cabin (named after Anne Fox Blakeman – Board of Directors / Camp Director) was constructed.  With the camp growing the board realized Leffer House needed to be remodeled.  The kitchen was expanded, and two covered decks were added in 1981.  The kitchen expansion and equipment were made possible by the June L Kuehl Memorial fund. June, a dedicated volunteer in the Northwest Cook Council, was instrumental in launching the Council’s cookie sale. Her vision and commitment led to years of successful sales, which helped fund the purchase and development of Happy Hollow. Over the years, several other features were added to the camp, including a bell tower, high ropes course, swimming pool, and archery range. The final major addition came in 2002, when stables were built that gave girls the opportunity to enjoy horseback riding without leaving camp property.

Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI) sold Happy Hollow in 2012.   

Debbie Kidd was a troop leader for two troops and going camping was something both troops enjoyed doing.  Continue reading to learn more about her experience.

Happy Hollow was a favorite camping site for the troops.  It was a distance away from our homes and finding Hollow happy was an adventure all its own.  You see, the camp entrance was located on a highway surrounded by trees so finding the sign before you passed it up was “the adventure”.  At that time the words “Happy Hollow” were simply attached to a wooden post.  Often, we would pass up the sign and then find ourselves in the middle of the country where homes were spread far from each other and all you saw was sky and fields: fields of cows and horses.

On one of the trips we took, there were no gas stations in sight so I pulled our van over, jokingly said to the girls, let’s ask a cow how far we are and if he turns a direction, we will head that way.  Well, a cow turned around, we went that way, ended up at a country ice cream shop and enjoyed ice cream before we found out from the shop owner that we passed up Happy Hollow about five miles back.  The girls loved the adventure of getting to Happy Hollow.

When my troops were Brownie Girl Scouts we would camp in a lodge.  Later, we moved to staying in tents.  Some of the best memories were made while hiking and singing together, spotting wildlife, building campfires at night, and indulging in delicious s’mores and pudgy pies.

One of my troop members, Erica shared with me how much fun she had at Happy Hollow “catching snipes”.  She said that catching snipes were the best and recalled how one of the members of our troop was in tears when she found out they weren’t real.         

Snipes are a playful myth.  The girls are led to believe that snipes are adorable, harmless, furry creatures that love to be cuddled.  According to the joke, snipes supposedly live in the woods, venture out at night, and are notoriously difficult to catch.  “Snipe hunters” go hunting with adults and bring a brown lunch bag, lay it on the ground and make a whistling noise to attract them to the bag.  When the girl thinks she’s caught a snipe, the adult discreetly drops a few pebbles in the bag.  This clever trick creates the illusion that something is moving inside, thrilling the girls into believing they’ve really caught a snipe.  The girls burst with excitement to see their cute little creature they caught squeal with delight.  However, the leaders had put a small hole in the bottom of the bag allowing the pebbles to fall out before the girls reached the table to open their bag and see their snipe.  Their excitement quickly turns to disappointment when they discover there was nothing in the bag.  This goes on until all the girls had a chance to “catch a snipe”.  As each girl “catches a snipe” she tells the other girls that it was cute, but it escaped and couldn’t show them what it looked like.

One girl in my troop was so disappointed that her snipe escaped, asked me if I could tell her mom where she can get one for a pet when she gets home.  Finally, after the girls finished their nighttime snipe hunt, we revealed the surprise: it was a playful prank!  The snipes weren’t real, and the girls erupted into laughter.  The rest of the night was filled with laughter and stories about the elusive snipes.

Erica also shared that she remembers sleeping in her sleeping bag on a mat in the main room of the cabin and making breakfast in the morning. 

Other great memories for the girls were cooking over a fire, preparing and making foiled meals, dutch oven desserts, singing grace before meals, washing their mess kits and hanging them on clothesline to dry in their dunk bag and making unique crafts.  One very special craft that the girls loved was decorating pillowcases.  As a leader, I enjoyed creating crafts that were unique and memorable; something that they would keep forever.  To this day, 30 years later, some of my troop members have shared with me that they still have their pillowcases as it brings back fond memories of the fun times we had.  The girls would put their name at the opening side of the pillowcase, and add their creation using fabric markers, putting Happy Hollow and the date somewhere on the cover, then having each girl sign it.  On each subsequent camping trip, we would bring our special pillowcase and add to it, having the girls sign their names on a section of the cover with the date of our trip.

I remember my daughter, Jennifer, going to Happy Hollow resident camp for the first time.  She went horseback riding, made new friends and loved the time away!  Also, Happy Hollow was the camping site where our service unit went camping. That was a fun trip – as a member of the service team, I chose to teach the girls first aid, and each girl made a small first aid kit. Other stations were run by other service team members or troop leaders teaching outdoor cooking skills or other camp skills.

The GSGCNWI Historians are trying to collect photos and memories of all the 97 camps that were once owned or rented by our council or former councils.  If you have any camp photos or memories you’d like to share, please send them to rdcourtney1940@gmail.com.

Timeless Trails: A Journey Through Our Former Camps – Part 1

Written by, Rosemarie D Courtney

Since Girl Scouts was founded in 1912, camping has provided campers with memories they carry throughout their lives. 

Today, our council has many opportunities for campers to form their own memories at Camp Butternut Springs, Camp Juniper Knoll, Camp Palos, and Camp Greene Wood.

But did you know that over the years, Girl Scouts have made lasting memories at 97 different camps that were once owned by our council, or by the former councils that existed prior to any mergers?

Keep reading to learn more about one of these beloved camps and the memories created there.

CAMP MANISTEE

In August of 1948, South Cook County Council purchased 1,040 acres of land in Manistee National Forest which is located near Whitehall, Michigan. The property was part of the Edward Swett estate, which had been used by Mr. Swett to entertain his hunting and fishing friends. The Council was able to finance the $26,500 purchase price for the property through a fund drive. There were additional fundraisers held to support the camp, one of which allowed the girls to make a 10-cent donation for the “privilege” of embroidering a square for a Camp Manistee quilt.

When Camp Manistee was in operation, it featured a director’s cottage, kitchen and dining hall, infirmary, craft house, shower house, food storehouse, C.I.T. (Counselor-in-Training) house, boathouse, eight platform tent units, and a tent storage area. Initially, the camp could accommodate 140 campers per session, but that number eventually grew to 220. Resident camp sessions lasted two weeks for older Girl Scouts, while Brownies attended one-week sessions.

Trails were carved out from the tent area to a swimming hole, which was formed by diverting water from the north branch of the White River. According to reports, Florence Ann Schlott, the council’s executive director, personally helped shovel three tons of sand to create a beach at the site.

The first camp director, Dr. Martha C. Carr, ensured campers stayed active with swimming, hiking, nature study, outdoor cooking, and even lessons on building traditional Chippewa ovens. Canoeing and boating were camper favorites, with Oxbow Lake offering the perfect setting for paddling adventures throughout the summer. The camp also featured an archery range, adding another fun and engaging activity to the experience.

The summer of 1979 marked the final season of resident camp at Camp Manistee. Rising operational costs and the need for major building renovations led the Board of Directors to make the difficult decision to sell the property. The camp was officially sold in June 1981.

Monica Woolard, a former Camp Manistee camper, shared her memories from her time at camp.

I went to Camp Manistee two summers in a row, 1969 and 1970. It was wonderful. Some of the activities were canoeing, boating, swimming, horseback riding, crafts, hiking – each led by great counselors.

I remember singing before meals, after meals, around the campfire – and everyone, both campers and counselors – got along very well.  It always seemed that the counselors knew just what to do to keep the camp moving smoothly.  Counselors were always around for questions, or just to chat with us. Of course, they had their own stories of when they were our age (although there were a few of them that weren’t that much older than me!).

It was a very organized camp. Charts were used for everything – both for chores by the campers and when events were scheduled.  You always knew what was going on.

I remember receiving care packages from home – and those were always welcome.  There was a store at the camp where we could buy things.  I still have my Camp Manistee jacket – and it still fits!  I have a lot of patches sewn on the jacket that I got from other camps as well as from visits to other states.  Just looking at the jacket brings back warm memories.

What I got the most from Camp Manistee was the feeling of belonging – no one was left out.  I never noticed cliques or groups separate from the rest of us.  Yes – there were a few campers that I got to know better than others – some of that was due to being in the same cabin.

The cabins were great – cots set up for about eight campers – and we got a pad to go under our sleeping bag.  They were very comfortable, and waterproof. 

The activities were so much fun – especially those on the water.  Canoeing was fun – a little scary sometimes – however once you got the hang of it, it was very enjoyable, too.  Horseback riding was interesting – and since this was the first time I’d been on a horse it was a little scary.  Again, the counselors were well versed in helping make us comfortable in an uncomfortable situation – which meant we didn’t go away afraid of any activity.

I believe these types of experiences help you grow, become more confident, get closer to nature, and just enjoy life more.

Self-Expression Through Camp Crafts

Written by Council Historian, Christine Cline

Have you ever noticed that no matter how long you are at camp, there seems to be a craft involved during the time you are there? Well, I did, and it is something that has been going on for as long as I can remember. I decided to put some thought into the reasons for that, and to discuss crafts that were popular fifty years ago when I was a kid at camp.

The first reason crafts are popular at camp is simple: they help pass the time. Crafts are also a great go-to when it is raining, or if the weather gets too hot, or if the campers need some down time.

While I’d love to say that all crafts can be done outdoors, the wind doesn’t always cooperate. Still, many activities can be done outside. Some camps are lucky enough to have a dedicated craft cabin stocked with supplies, which allows for an even wider variety of creative experiences.

So why crafts in the first place? Because we learn so much from them. You might be surprised by how much a simple project can teach you.

Crafts help build:

  • The ability to follow step-by-step directions
  • Dexterity and fine motor skills
  • Patience, especially when you need to redo a step
  • Empathy and leadership by helping others with their projects
  • Self-confidence when you complete something challenging
  • The understanding that you don’t have to be good at everything
  • The courage to try new things
  • Responsibility for cleaning up after yourself
  • A sense of design and color coordination
  • Practical skills by making something useful
  • Camaraderie through shared creative time

Crafts can also reinforce lessons being taught in other areas, and sometimes they can even be life changing.

Craft time is also the best time to talk to friends, make new friends, and just really enjoy yourself.

Crafts will always be a part of camp. Some crafts are still being done today that have been done from many years ago, but many have changed. I decided to look up some old-time craft projects from fifty years ago, and to put them out there for the modern generation.

I thought long and hard about what crafts I remember doing as a child at camp, and asked others which ones they remembered too.

The crafts from my youth were usually simple, because there were few craft items available at the time. Most craft items that were available were made of glue, scissors, glitter, colored paper, and such from the local store. So, the crafts I have chosen are very similar to the ones I did fifty years ago. Take take a look below to see examples of the crafts from my past.

Tissue Paper Flowers

Items Needed:

  • Tissue paper in any color you wish
  • Green pipe cleaner for the stem
  • Scissors

Instructions:

  1. Cut at least six pieces of tissue paper into 4×4 sheets. This makes the simplest flowers.
  2. Fold back and forth.
  3. Fold in half.
  4. At the fold, hook pipe cleaner around center.
  5. Carefully open tissue paper one at a time.

For fancier flowers you can cut tissue into a circle, use fancy scissors to cut the outer edges of the circle, or even cut divots out. This project can be done with recycled tissue paper from gift bags. This project is for ages eight and up. I loved to make these flowers. They are a great craft for Mother’s Day, and if you look online, you can see that they can get quite elaborate.  You can learn to make very creative wall designs with them.

Weaving Paper

Items Needed:

  • Paper
  • Scissors or paper cutter
  • Glue or tape

Choose paper that is a bit thicker and smoother for this project.  Back in the day, we only had thin paper, and it made it more difficult to weave the paper without tearing it.  This project is limited by your imagination. I was amazed when I saw just how creative people were getting with their designs. I noticed some type of paper grabber in the center of the third photograph. This is a very complex and beautiful project, and a definite progression from the above two photos.

Toilet Paper Roll Puppets

Items Needed:

  • Toilet paper rolls
  • Colored paper
  • Googly eyes
  • Feathers
  • Glue
  • Anything else you can think of

There used to be a lot of toilet paper rolls at camp until someone invented enormous rolls.  but at my house we still seem to go through a lot of the stuff and can accumulate plenty of toilet paper rolls for a group to do a project quickly.  This project is limited only by your imagination.  I have a few photos to get you started. I remember doing this with my mom to make Christmas ornaments. The ideas online are so varied, in scope and variety. There are even ideas for making home decoration projects. The pink ones are cell phone holder. I love the variety of ideas shown above, and the stamp for the flower.  Many more can be found online.

Yarn Art

Items Needed:

  • Scraps of yarn
  • Cardboard, could be from cereal boxes or cardboard boxes.
  • Glue, HIGHLY recommend craft glue. But use what you have. 
  • Also, HIGHLY recommend not gluing on the shiny side of any surface.

Picture shown is a guide. Use your imagination. The shown picture is between 4×4 to 6×6 inches large. You do not want to make the pictures too large when you have a finite time for craft class. Start by drawing your idea on a piece of paper. Have fun!

This project is a great way to use up scraps of yarn. Cut the yarn pieces a little longer than needed, then cut the ends after you have glued them on to get a neat, clean edge. Older kids could use a utility knife.

Popsicle Stick Catapult

Items Needed:

  • Eight popsicle sticks or the larger tongue depressor type ones.
  • Three thicker rubber bands.
  • One sturdy plastic spoon
  • Cotton balls, aluminum, or pompoms

Instructions:

  1. Stack seven of the popsicle sticks on top of each other and then put a rubber band around one end until it is tight.
  2. Slip the last stick between the first and second stick in the stack and move it to the center of the stack, then wrap the second rubber band around the end of the stack tightly.(Some people will use another popsicle stick instead of a spoon and glue a bottle cap to it as the launch mechanism.  Plastic spoons do tend to break.  But so do popsicle sticks, which is why some people moved to the larger tongue depressors.)
  3. Secure the plastic spoon to one end of the single popsicle stick with the last rubber band until tight.

Use cotton balls, or other small light balls made of aluminum foil or other items such as pompoms to launch from your catapult.

Set up targets or buckets and make a game of it!

String Art

Items Needed:

  • A piece of wood, or a piece of cardboard
  • String in the colors you have chosen
  • Nails
  • Hammer
  • Template

This project can be very easy to very complicated. The first thing you need to do is to figure out which project you want to do, then get the correct supplies for it.  The easier projects do not need a hammer and nails, and can be done with just cardboard. I remember enjoying this project as a child. Here are several examples of different types of projects.

Bead Doll

Items Needed:

  • Pony beads
  • Any other beads you have
  • Larger wooden bead for head
  • Pipe cleaner to hold beads
  • Yarn
  • Markers

Assemble beads onto the pipe cleaners, one for each side of the body.Get creative and have fun! Name your creations. Great for using up beads. Use this photo as a starting point.

We have made so many things out of beads, but I thought these dolls were so cute and could be used to play with while at camp. Like a camp buddy. It would be something I could see myself keeping for a long time.

Line Art

Items Needed:

  • Paper, white or light colored
  • Crayons, colored pencils, markers, or chalk.
  • Your imagination

This is a project that starts out slow and grows with you. As a child we only did the easy thing.  Just lines around our name, or from corner to corner on a piece of paper.  Now, it has grown to be much more creative and beautiful.  This project is for all ages. You can see the progression from the first line drawing to the second one.  There are many more examples online.

I hope you enjoy them, and I hope you enjoyed this brief history of crafts.

Happy Camping All!

-Christine

Embracing Possibilities and Changing the World: 2025 Gold Award Girl Scouts

This year’s Gold Award Girl Scouts are change-makers, role models, and real-life heroes. To earn the Gold Award, Girl Scouts must invest more than 80 hours of leadership, project management, and service to create a sustainable impact in their communities and beyond.

Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana is proud to recognize the 38 Girl Scouts who earned their Gold Award.

We invite you to celebrate their accomplishments and explore the incredible possibilities they’ve embraced to make our world a better place.

Tribute to Achievement: Embrace Possibilities

On April 2, 2025, we celebrated our Tribute to Achievement Dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. This year’s Tribute to Achievement Dinner highlighted the Girl Scout Mission in action by recognizing our awardees who have made the world a better place by advancing opportunities for girls and women. 

We were delighted to have recognized three exceptional honorees who advocate for the empowerment of girls and women each day: Laura Ricketts, Executive Chairperson, Chicago Stars and Board Chair, Cubs Charities (Luminary Award); BMO (Corporate Award), accepted by Jen Guidi; and Sue Major, CEO, Major Executive Search (Girl Scout’s Own Award).

Watch the Embrace Possibilities Video

Thanks to your generosity, we raised more than $885,000 to provide life-changing experiences for girls and help them Embrace all the Possibilities. 

A special thank you to our 2025 Tribute to Achievement Sponsors!  

 

Girl Scouts tour the Pullman Community

Our Girl Scouts, friends, and family participated in a tour through the historic Pullman District. This was just one of the many activities scheduled for our Social Inclusion Week.

Tour Guide and Chicago Historian Dilla of Mahogany Tours explained that Pullman was one of the first industrialized communities in the United States, featuring a campus that included a manufacturing plant for Pullman train cars and housing for its workers.  

Before the rise of the aircraft industry, rail was the preferred and primary mode of cross-country transportation.  Pullman Cars, also known as sleeping cars, offered far more comfort than sitting in a regular seat, much like today’s airplane sleep pods. Manufacturing of Pullman Cars ceased in 1982.

Although the Girl Scouts explored the area by bus, there are several exhibits visitors can access in a 5-block radius, including the Administration Clock Tower building and the Pullman Exhibit Hall. The National A. Phillip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum is currently closed and under construction. Walking throughout the community, one can also notice the architectural differences between the homes of the “bosses” and the general workers (who, by the way, all came to work dressed in suits).

Two interesting moments stood out on the tour. One of the Girl Scouts asked how individuals with walking disabilities would have navigated the streets and multi-level family homes in the past. Dilla explained, gently but honestly, that unless a family member was willing or able to carry them up and down the stairs, those individuals were often confined to one floor or sent away to live in places that were not very pleasant. Today, many homeowners have installed elevators (typically at the back of the building) and, thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the streets are more accessible.

Dilla also shared the story of A. Phillip Randolph, who in 1925 organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (later known as Pullman Porters), the first successful African American-led labor union. The Porters also played a key role in the Great Migration by distributing the Chicago Defender and other black-owned newspapers along their routes. It was also commonly known that if someone needed to leave town quickly, and they knew a porter, they could sometimes be smuggled onto the train and safely dropped off at a stop along the way. 

Kathy, the daughter of a Pullman Porter, shared a special memory. While traveling back to Southern Illinois University (Carbondale) and boarding The Illini at the Homewood station (yes, trains back then had names), her father saw a fellow porter on the train. Because this train’s final destination was New Orleans, it came equipped with a dining car and several sleeping cars.  As part of the Loyal Order of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, he told his colleague, “That’s my youngest daughter on her way back to school, so you watch out for her.” Needless to say, she didn’t sit in coach that day. The porter escorted her to the front of the train, where she sat in a comfortable roomette for the duration of the trip. An unforgettable experience, and one still on her bucket list to relive.

The tradition of tipping in the service industry also has roots in the history of the Pullman Porters. Because they weren’t paid much, porters relied heavily on tips for shining shoes, turning down beds, and providing exceptional service. Many celebrities traveled by rail at the time, and stories were often shared among porters. Her father used to say that while some big names in particular were very generous tippers, others were not.

It was an inspiring and educational day, and we’re proud to offer experiences like this that connect our Girl Scouts and their families to the powerful stories woven into Chicago’s history.

Special thanks to Kathy C. for sharing this story and her reflections with us.

It’s Not Too Late to Register for Girl Scout Summer Camp! 

Written by GCNWI Council Historian, Veronica Pradelski 

What better way to keep on enjoying your Girl Scout fun this summer, than to spend some time at our council-led camps. 

Spending time outdoors with other Girl Scouts your age this summer is a great reason to attend camp. You’ll learn new skills and make new friends, especially during the warm summer season, when troops are usually not meeting. 

You will have time for traditional activities, like exploring nature, making crafts, playing games and learning songs.  You will also learn outdoor skills, like learning to cook over a fire, meal planning and budgeting for the food you will need for your meal. 

All camp programs have different themes, you get to decide which one is right for you! With all the various activities at camp, you can sometimes earn a badge or complete some requirements for a badge that you are interested in earning. 

Our council holds summer camps at three different locations. Camp Greene Wood is a day camp, and both Camp Butternut Springs and Camp Juniper Knoll are overnight camps. Some service units may hold a day camp in their area, run by devoted leaders who put together the planned programs for their camp.  

As I am writing this article, it brings back memories of my time in the summer at Girl Scout camp, in the 1960s, in Chicago. The day started with an opening ceremony, and then you would go with your unit to work on what activities were planned for the day.  We would plan our meals, write out a shopping list, and whoever was on cooking duty that day would go to the grocery store and purchase the items needed for our lunch meal. 

We’d hike, make crafts, sing songs, and learn how to budget for our meals.  It was a fun time, and I made new friends. 

So, it’s not too late to plan your own summer camp adventure. Click here to view all summer camp offerings and find a program that interests you and make it a summer to remember. 

Cooking with Fire: Girl Scout Camp Edition

Did you catch us on FOX cooking up Campfire French Toast?! Camp Greene Wood’s Summer Camp Director, Sprout, crushed it showing how Girl Scouts build confidence and resilience through outdoor cooking at camp!

Watch Here >>

We’re so close to reaching our goal of giving 3,000 campers an unforgettable, screen-free summer! If you’ve been thinking about signing up, now’s the perfect time.

✨ Use promo code CAMPGOODDAY at checkout to get $50 off a council-led summer camp session. ✨

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